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Dordt student engineers meet energy needs and build educational tool
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04/26/2013
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A team of three senior engineering majors designed a Solar Power Generation
System and, with Dordt\uc1\u8217?s Laboratory Systems Engineer Andrew
Kroeze, installed it at Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization
(ECHO) headquarters in\~N. \'46ort Myers, \'46lorida, in April. ECHO
provides support to a diverse network of people around the world who
work with those in poverty, helping them be more effective, especially
in the area of agriculture.
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After learning of the organization\uc1\u8217?s need, Dordt students
put together a proposal with a preliminary design in September. ECHO
chose their proposal a month later.
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Hannah Orlow, Ryan Tholen, and Tyler Woudstra designed and built the
system as part of their Senior Design project. It gives ECHO an alternative
source of energy to power their Appropriate Technology Center and
allows them to use the solar generator system as an educational tool
for tourists, missionaries, and development workers on solar power
generation system design, assembly, operation, and maintenance.
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\uc1\u8220?The beauty of this design is that it is made from parts
that can be bought off the shelf, and we provided educational signage
and documentation so anyone could understand its function and learn
how to build their own system,\uc1\u8221? said Tholen.
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\uc1\u8220?ECHO works with many agricultural development workers and
missionaries, and our students\uc1\u8217? design gives us a chance
to help in their mission,\uc1\u8221? said Engineering Professor Nolan
Van Gaalen. In addition, the project allowed Dordt to further develop
its relationship with ECHO, which has already worked with the college\uc1\u8217?s
agriculture department.
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The solar power system has a capacity of 2.3 kilowatts, which is sufficient
to provide for the needs of the Appropriate Technology Center. It
is simple, reliable, has relatively low maintenance, and is durable
and safe. It is a system that could easily be incorporated in a developing
country to power a village or home.
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\uc1\u8220?This kind of project is what you hope for as a student
engineer,\uc1\u8221? Tholen said. \uc1\u8220?It\uc1\u8217?s a chance
to meet needs in a positive way.\uc1\u8221?
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\uc1\u8220?This design has almost endless possibilities,\uc1\u8221?
Van Gaalen said. \uc1\u8220?It\uc1\u8217?s meant to stand alone, run
without being connected to a power source, and store energy. It\uc1\u8217?s
easy to put together and can easily be scaled up or down to any needs.
Now ECHO is going to be able to share with their constituents how
this tool can aid them in the field.\uc1\u8221?
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Dordt\uc1\u8217?s new science building will include a similarly designed
solar generation system that can be used to provide power and as an
educational tool for Dordt students.
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\uc1\u8220?It\uc1\u8217?s great being part of a project where you
not only get to create an idea but you get to see it fulfill a real
need and help people for years to come. Our system is an example of
appropriate technology with holistic design that we learn about at
Dordt throughout all our courses,\uc1\u8221? Orlow said.
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The engineering department is excited about other possibilities for
future interaction between ECHO and Dordt College. To learn more about
engineering at Dordt College, go to www.dordt.edu/engineering.
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